Shortening Days, Cool Weather Ahead...

It’s time for our main sowings of hardy winter greens: one or two large plantings of lettuce, mustard greens, kale, collards and spinach in early fall gives us pick-and-come again harvests all winter. We’ll harvest whole plants when growth resumes in spring. Roots for winter storage can also be sown in early fall. We’re direct sowing carrots, beets, and fall radishes (daikons).

What’s really keeping us busy is putting up the harvest! Read We're preserving, drying, and celebrating the diversity of ways to save this summer’s bounty for the future.

Final Hurrah: Fall Alliums
Garlic, perennial onions, shallots, and more!

We have a newly updated Onion and Garlic Growing Guide (PDF) available online and going out with this year’s garlic and perennial onion orders. Fall allium bulbs ship September through early October.

Varieties in plentiful supply for 2012:

The Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello: HeritageHarvestFestival.com
Saturday, September 15, 2012 (preview events September 14)

Programming included with general admission includes,

• Workshops with dozens of experts, including chef demonstrations, tours of the grounds, and vendor demonstrations.
• The Tasting Tent, with over 100 tomatoes, plus peppers, melons, and more!
• The Old Timey Seed Swap, 9–11:15 a.m. This year we’re honoring the everyday seeds savers who have kept so many varieties going for generations.
• Children’s activities, from the Master Gardener’s Roots and Shoots Tent, to historic fun with the Monticello Kids Program, to the Backyard Revolution’s Young Pioneers Area.
• The Backyard Revolution, expanded this year with fun for the whole family. Full schedule now online.
• The Young Farmers Zone, a new addition to the festival, designed to promote young farmers in our community.  

While there’s plenty to do with a general admission ticket, there are also still tickets available for some premium workshops. We recommend considering:

• The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food with Janisse Ray, Friday, 12:45–1:45 p.m.
  
• Naturescape Your Yard with Karen Bussolini, Friday, 9–10 a.m.
  
• United Plant Savers: Promoting Stewardship of At-Risk Native Medicinal Herbs 
  with Susan Leopold, Saturday, 12:45–1:45 p.m.
• Seed Saving for the Home Gardener with Rodger Winn, Saturday, 2–3 p.m.
• The Cooking Gene with Michael Twitty, Saturday, 3:15–4:15 p.m.
• Great Gardens from Great Plant Collectors with Cheval Force Opp, Saturday, 3:15–4:15 p.m.
  

SouthernExposure.com

Please Contact Us with questions, concerns,
and garden photos!

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
P.O. Box 460, Mineral, VA 23117
Phone: 540-894-9480 Fax: 540-894-9481